Vauxhall Crossland X road test

With General Motors pulling the plug on its European Opel/Vauxhall operation after losing money on it every year since 2000 it is now owned by the French Peugeot/Citroen group and here we test the first car from its union, the Vauxhall Crossland X

You would think that by now this sector of the market was not just overcrowded but saturated to the point that there is no more room for a newcomer. But Vauxhall has this new Crossland X (and Citroen will have soon its version, the new Aircross) which shares technology with its French partners and it marks the second in what will soon be a three-car line up in this sector, with the smaller Mokka X already on sale and the soon-to-be-released bigger Grandland X. Vauxhall obviously has a thing for `X’s!

Interior 4/5

This is not a big car, shorter than the company’s Astra hatchback as it happens, but it makes the most of what space there is so it ticks that box for the family buyer. Even the back seats can take adults which is not always the case with this type of car. As an example, not long ago I was in a Toyota CH-R, a car of very similar length and wheelbase, and I got the impression that I wouldn’t have wanted to sit in the back for too long. The Vauxhall also gives you the split level boot arrangement adding a little more practicality. As an option you can also specify a sliding rear bench seat.

It is well equipped and has the usual connectivity stuff expected these days including Vauxhall’s excellent OnStar system which puts you in touch with a real human being if ever you need some help in finding somewhere or planning a route. I’ve tried it before and it does work, it’s not just a gimmick. The test car I had, the range topping Elite, lacked for nothing although with a price tag bordering twenty grand it was no more than I would expect.

Driving 3/5

I’m looking at the notes I wrote just after finishing my test the other week and see that I’ve made a comment on the gearchange. Normally you would get in and drive a car and not think twice about a gearshift but the little Vauxhall has the most extraordinary amount of travel across the gate, so between second and third and from fourth into fifth. I can’t remember anything quite like it. Weird.

The steering is light enough at parking speed that you can move it with one finger but it firms up as you go a little faster and I thought the ride a bit noisy too if reasonably comfortable.

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On the plus side, I had the 1.2 turbo engine and as with many of the latest three cylinder units you find these days it’s a little cracker, really very good. It pulls like a train from low revs and I imagine it would be fine hauling a family of five. The motor comes in different power outputs, mine had a healthy 130 PS, and there is a diesel option too.

Still, the car didn’t strike me as the most enjoyable car on the market from a driving perspective.

Inside the Vauxhall Crossland X

Styling 4/5

There is a little bit of panache here which lifts it from being just a box to something a bit more interesting. The sculpted sides are good and as with the little ADAM you can have the roof a different colour to the main body which buyers seem to like.

Costs 4/5

Prices start at around £16,500 which is pretty much a ballpark figure but the top spec Elite version I tested came in at £19,395 before the options fitted pushed that to £22,100. Ouch!

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One advantage it has is that I reckon it will be much more of a retail car, bought by the private motorist rather than being banged out to fleets and businesses and so hopefully avoiding the worst effects of the biggest cost element of a new car, depreciation. Vauxhall says it should be among the best in class in this regard and if so, that will be very welcome news for anyone looking at a three year PCP finance deal.

Running costs look fairly typical, little surprise given that its engine is the same as you’d find in Peugeots and Citroens, and even with the usual pinch of sale the 55 mpg average consumption quoted hints at good fuel economy.

Verdict 4/5

As was written on many of my school reports, I would say this car is OK but could do better. It is competent in everything (gearchange apart!) and is good in the key area of passenger space but it didn’t overwhelm me and in a market sector which is so crowded, so fiercely competitive, I am not sure it has anything which makes it stand out from the crowd.